UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW)

Sumario: March 14, 2003: Presentation by Ms. Marie Donnelly on 'EU progress and review of the implementation of the PfA' at the event organized in the framework of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) by the Permanent Mission of Greece and the Delegation of the European Commission to the United Nations, on March 4, 2003 (New York)

BENCHMARKING PROGRESS ON THE BEIJING COMMITMENTS IN THE EUROPEAN UNION

The EU pursues a number of policies that deliver on the commitments of Beijing. The indicators that have been adopted - and presented here today - are essential tools in monitoring the progress of those policies in the delivery of gender equality. The method used in this follow-up to Beijing is two fold, relying on visible political support and mainstreaming of the indicators into on-going processes.

Top level political support and encouragement comes from the Heads of Government of the Member States. Ever since 1995, the Heads of Government have endorsed the commitments made at Beijing and followed the progress made.

Each year, Heads of Government review the economic and social situation in Europe. As an input, a single report - the Synthesis report - is submitted flanked by Structural indicators. Structural indicators are key indicators of the state of the economy and are limited in number. However, all indicators relating to people are engendered, and in addition, 2 indicators are dedicated tot the follow-up of Beijing - gender pay gap and provision of childcare places.

Equally, Ministers for Gender Equality review activities and developments 4 times a year when they meet in Council formations.

Gender equality figures strongly in two of the 'open method of coordination' processes. These are not legislative processes. Instead Member States agree common objectives and goals, setting out general approaches to achieve these e goals, and prepare national action plans to achieve the desired result. Thus each Member State can take account of its own situation, starting point and needs.

Two such processes are important for gender equality - the European Employment Strategy and the Social Inclusion process. In the case of the European Employment Strategy, there is an annual report to the Heads of Government, the Joint Employment report, which is produced by the Member States and the Commission. In the Employment Strategy there is a specific pillar addressing gender equality, for which there are 9 indicators - including the gender pay gap and reconciliation of work and family life. Likewise, in the Social Inclusion process, there is a joint report and all indicators are gender mainstreamed.

However, not all of the indicators can be mainstreamed into on-going processes. For example, women in decision-making do not readily fit within any existing process. Therefore the Commission has established a contract to put in place a database of women and men in decision making, across s the 4 domains of: political life; the public sector; the private sector; and social and cultural life. This database will progressively contain data for the existing 15 Member States; the 10 future Member States; the3 applicant States and the States of the European Economic Area. The database will be accessible from the Gender equality section of the Europa site, from October 2003.

The area of domestic violence against women is very complex - as the discussions taking place this week have shown. Therefore there is no single process for monitoring developments and progress. Thus we are working very closely with the colleagues in Justice and Home Affairs to develop the most comprehensive approach, including the collection of criminal statistics in an agreed way. The monitoring the legislative measures is also being monitored. Many Member States have identified domestic violence as a risk factor for social exclusion and therefore set out in their national action plans their efforts that they are taking.

Gender equality actors, including the European Parliament, the Council, the Commission and the Non Governmental Organisations are the key players in moving the agenda forward. In fact, these actors meet annually to review progress - the meeting will take place in Brussels tomorrow. With the impulsion of the Heads of Government, and the active support of the Ministers for Gender Equality, the political agenda is identified and followed. The High Level Group of Directors of Gender Equality in the Member States provides the forum for practical monitoring, supported by the Commission.

For the future, the European Union will continue its work in the identification of indicators which can be use to shape, monitor and benchmark policies leading towards gender equality. Gender mainstreaming will be enhanced through the Council formations and will continue the policy development stage through the Framework Strategy.

The European Union has taken the commitments of the Beijing Platform for Action seriously, and progress has been made. That is not to say that the work id done - rather it must continue in a determined and targeted way. To that end, a review of the implementation of the PfA could be foreseen in 2005 - along the lines of the 2000 review. This would provide a forum for Member States (which will include by then the 10 future Member States), NGOs, women and men to assess progress and to reinforce the commitments for the future and the road to be travelled towards a gender equal society.

Ref: EC03-064EN
Fuente UE: Comisión Europea
Foro NU:
Fecha: 14/3/2003

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